Heavy vehicle speeding: regulatory review

Heavy vehicle speeding above posted limits is recognised by governments, the trucking industry and the community as a serious issue in Australia. The National Transport Commission and Australia Trucking Association convened a Summit to Combat Speeding Heavy Trucks in Canberra in March 2004 and where there was universal agreement that the issue needed to be addressed as a matter of high priority. The National Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy (NHVSS) 2003-2010 has 'better speed management' as one of its strategic objectives to help reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from crashes where heavy vehicles are involved. As part of the Strategy, the NTC is currently undertaking a regulatory review of heavy vehicle speeding. The aim of this project is increased compliance by heavy vehicles with speed limits that will contribute to better road safety outcomes. This paper provides an overview of the extent and nature of the problem of speeding heavy vehicles in Australia, a summary of the issues and challenges, and an update on the progress of the regulatory review of the project to date.